A popular design for a passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle comprises bucket seats for a driver and a front occupant spaced apart by a console. The console may include a gearshift lever and one or more storage compartments. The console is attached to the chassis of the vehicle. More particularly, in a common construction, the chassis includes a crossbeam perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, which is located underneath the instrument panel and includes brackets that extend toward the floor. The console comprises a metal frame covered by a polymeric skin. During assembly, posts on the console frame are axially inserted into slots in the brackets. The posts are inserted in a forward direction, i.e., toward the front of the vehicle, and are positioned against closed forward ends of the slots. In the event of an impact, the closed front end of the slot prevents the console frame from being dislodged. This is particularly effective in the event of a frontal impact, wherein the momentum of the console is directed forward. In the event of a rear impact, forces may cause the console frame to move rearward relative to the brackets, whereupon the posts may become dislodged from the slots. Once dislodged, the console frame may move in an unpredictable and potentially dangerous manner.
Therefore, a need exists for a vehicle frame assembly that includes a frame substructure, such as a console frame, having posts inserted within open slots of a vehicle frame in a manner that allows the chassis to be readily assembled during vehicle manufacture, and prevent the frame substructure from being dislodged in the event of impact.